Fast Times at Collector High

The market has doubled and in some cases doubled again, and when this happens, a readjustment is on the way

by Jim Schrager

You can see it in the classified ads: This is a wild time. I can remember issues of Hemmings that didn’t have a single 356 Speedster for sale, yet today, several appear. I have never seen so many Carrera RS and open 356 cars for sale in the European press. Sale records are frequently set with each new auction report. Recently, I was able to buy a few cars out of long-term collections that I’d had my eye on for years (a Carrera RS, a 356B Roadster, and a 356 Pre-A Speedster, each among the hottest Porsche merchandise); cars you’d never imagine wealthy and knowledgeable collectors would part with. But they figure they’ve had their fun, and it’s time to turn their cars into money.

We have loads of cars changing hands, yet I get more email and phone calls from dejected buyers than ever before. Who benefits from this type of market? Do you have the...